My Top 10 Tips For Handling Your Rabbit

1. Whenever you pick your rabbit up, be careful to not scrape its nails against the surface it was sitting on, or you risk breaking the rabbit's toe or toenail. Apart from it being very unpleasant for the rabbit, it is also a disqualification in ARBA showing.

2. Never be afraid of hurting the rabbit, or the rabbit will think you are likely to drop them. Always be gentle but firm, and always keep a good grip on the rabbit.

3. Being too gentle with the rabbit means that they will either take advantage of you and wiggle away, or they will think you don't have a good grip on them and will become fearful. These are both circumstances in which the rabbit will get frantic and will ultimately be dropped.

4. If you ever drop the rabbit, put it away in its cage immediately and observe its behavior. If it has difficulty hopping, this may mean an injury to the spine or leg, so take it to a vet immediately. If the rabbit acts normal, there shouldn't be any reason to worry.

5. Don't tolerate bad manners, such as chewing on your clothes, biting, squirming, struggling, eating your hair, or scrabbling up to your shoulder. These behaviors aren't fun or cute, and they become a literal pain once you get your first scratches.

6. Sometimes rabbits will nibble or nip at you, or start squirming at random. This is VERY often because they need the bathroom and don't want to pee on you! This is a really well-behaved rabbit, so don't get upset at them. Instead, put them back in their cage and let them have a potty break. It's better to give them a break than have them pee on you!

7. Understand that it's possible the rabbit might scratch you. It isn't the end of the world. Don't take it personally. Wear them like war trophies.

8. When you put the rabbit back in its cage, put it in rear end first. Unless your rabbit has been trained properly, it is likely that your rabbit will squirm and fuss and want to leap out of your arms into the cage. For me, this is unacceptable behavior. I refuse to have badly behaved rabbits, especially as learning to leap out of your arms is incredibly dangerous for the rabbit.

9. Don't ever rush at the rabbit. This is terrifying to most rabbits as it resembles a predator like a hawk swooping in on them. Instead, calmly approach them from the SIDE, NOT from the front or behind. Most rabbits (especially those with round heads such as Holland Lops) cannot see directly in front of them. Therefore, it is best to approach from the side, as they can see you and know that you are not posing any threat to their safety.

10. Do not linger with your hand directly above the rabbit. This again resembles a predator swooping down to grab them. It can trigger fear-based aggression in the sweetest of rabbits.

What are some other tips you have for handling rabbits? Tell us below in the comments section!